BURLINGTON — The South End Kitchen will close its doors in December after two years in operation, its owners, Lake Champlain Chocolates, announced Tuesday.
“This was a very difficult decision,” said Jim Lampman, owner of Lake Champlain Chocolates, in a statement. “Unfortunately, operating this complex, dynamic and risky venture took focus off of our core (chocolate making) business,” Lampman added.
Lake Champlain Chocolates has operated for more than three decades and sells its products to 2,000 specialty food stores nationwide, according to its news release.
Turning the 716 Pine Street location into a restaurant was a year-long “multi-million dollar” process, according to a Seven Days report published when South End Kitchen opened in January 2014.
Starting Oct. 19, lunch and dinner will be served Wednesday through Saturday, with brunch served on Saturday and Sunday. The café will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Its final day of service will be Dec. 20. Classes and private parties will take place as scheduled through that time, according to the news release.
The restaurant space will become the chocolate maker’s headquarters for administration, marketing and sales, allowing it to “optimize” the production and retail space across the street at 750 Pine Street.
“We have an exceptional group of people at SEK — I want to thank all of our staff and cooks for their hard work and wonderful food they’ve made, as well as the people who attended our classes and the community who welcomed us,” Lampman said.